Youth Employment and Climate Action in Ontario

This episode aired on February 19 2025.

In this timely episode, host Erin Blondeau discusses Ontario's surprise early election with climate organizers Bushra Asghar, Zoe Keary-Matzner, and Karishma Porwal, coming up on February 27. The conversation unpacks Doug Ford's political strategy of calling an election 16 months early while positioning himself as a “patriotic” leader in response to Trump's tariff threats.

The discussion analyzes each provincial party's climate record and positions in Ontario. Zoe provides an update on her landmark youth-led climate lawsuit against the Ontario government, now potentially heading to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Bushra, Zoe and Karishma also critically examine Ford's "Ontario Corps" volunteer disaster response program, contrasting it with their vision for a properly funded Youth Climate Corps that would create meaningful climate jobs. Throughout, they explore whether climate concerns are resonating with voters amid competing crises of housing affordability, healthcare, and inflation - arguing that these issues are fundamentally interconnected.

Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans, featuring Bushra Asghar, Karishma Porwal, Zoe Keary-Matzner. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith. 

Learn more at climateemergencyunit.ca/podcast

Learn more about the Youth Climate Corps

Read the Youth Climate Corps campaign's statement on Ford's volunteer Ontario Corps program